Secondary battery pack and authentication method

Abstract

An authenticator ( 5, 11 ) is compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate an external device connected with a connection terminal (OUT, ID), and the authenticator executes authentication processes by the plurality of authentication systems in order, and permits transfer of electric power between the external device and a secondary battery part ( 1 ) when any one of authentication processes is successful.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A secondary battery pack comprising:
 a secondary battery; 
 a connection terminal connectable to an external device that transmits electric power to or receives the electric power from said secondary battery; and 
 an authenticator compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate the external device connected to said connection terminal, the authenticator is configured to execute authentication processes of the plurality of authentication systems in order and to permit transfer of the electric power between the external device and said secondary battery in response to any one of the authentication processes being successful, wherein 
 the external device is a battery charger that charges said secondary battery, and 
 a first one of the plurality for authentication systems comprises a first one of the authentication processes of the external device and is executed based on a value of current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery. 
 
     
     
       2. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein an authentication time period required for completing determination of whether an authentication process is possible is different among the authentication systems. 
     
     
       3. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 2 , wherein the authenticator implements the plurality of authentication systems in order, starting from an authentication system comprising a shortest authentication time period. 
     
     
       4. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein any one of the plurality of authentication systems is a first authentication system in which an authentication process for the external device is executed based on an external signal for executing the authentication process for the external device, the external signal being input by the external device. 
     
     
       5. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 4 , wherein the authenticator first implements the first authentication system. 
     
     
       6. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 5 , wherein
 a second one of the plurality of authentication systems comprises a second one of the authentication processes for the external device and is executed based on a second value of the current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery, and 
 the authenticator secondly implements the second authentication system. 
 
     
     
       7. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 6 , wherein, in the second one of the plurality of authentication systems, the second one of the authentication processes for the external device is executed based on whether the second value of the current falls within a predetermined current value range. 
     
     
       8. The secondary battery pack according to  claim 4 , wherein, in the first authentication system, the authentication process for the external device is executed based on whether the external signal is the H level or the L level. 
     
     
       9. An authentication method performed in a secondary battery pack comprising a secondary battery and a connection terminal connectable to an external device that transmits electric power to or receives the electric power from the secondary battery, the secondary battery pack being compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate the external device connected to the connection terminal, the method comprising:
 executing authentication processes by the plurality of authentication systems in order; and 
 permitting transfer of the electric power between the external device and the secondary battery in response to any one of the authentication processes being successful, wherein 
 the external device is a battery charger that charges said secondary battery, and 
 a first one of the plurality for authentication systems comprises a first one of the authentication processes of the external device and is executed based on a value of current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery.